#( COME CATCH THESE HANDS )
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Guys that punchable job trainer poll is gonna make me enter my villain era I swear to the Twelve
also, Martyn haters dni lmao
#You mischaracterize my special boy and you get to fight me outside#enter my boss fight#come into my enclosure#Daeiran (Savage) starts rn#Come catch these hands#fight me#I love very specific NPCs in this game and I will die on my hills
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William Afton winning that āidgafā award in FNAF
#myart#chloesimagination#comic#fnaf#five nights at freddy's#fnaf fanart#fnaf movie#vanessa shelly#fnaf vanessa#vanessa afton#william afton#steve raglan#happy spooky month everyone!!#almost fnaf movie anniversary coming up so wanted to draw some stuff for it#MORE VANESSA THOUGHTS LETS GOO!!#now featuring some William thoughts#I can imagine that shooting her own dad was hard for Vanessa#even though heās a monster itās obvious that like#she still cares about him in some way from the brainwashing heās donāt to her#kinda proves sheās different than her father#meanwhile William did not have that much of a problem#like I know he looked sad for a second after stabbing Vanessa#but he did decide in a split second that was the best choice#William when you catch these hands
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pick your battles
#my art#my stuff#art#comic#original art#pride 2024#pride month#trans allegory..... or not even allegory. just trans .... ^_^#i technically cannot come out yet but i don't think the people who i need to not see this stalk my tumblr#i know they stalk everything else like my twitter and my instagram but this might be safe#so fuck it we yap. this is a comic about picking your battles#this is a comic about how for almost a year now everyone at home in singapore has been crying about my sore throat#my terrible fucked up voice. my you know. etc#i came out as not cis and using they/them pronouns in 2015 when i was 14#but no one ever used my pronouns. none of my classmates or friends even up until i left for college in 2020#from 2020 onwards every year i wrote an angry vulnreable essay about how much it hurts that they dont remember#and people would dm me apologizing on their hands and knees and commending my bravery#and then forget about it all over again. id ont mean 'they misgender me and then catch it and apologize and correct themselves'#i mean they dont even get that far#and so you might ask yourself: why have you kept them around all this time?#and i would have to explain that by pure bad luck i grew up in the most conservative close minded community#that all of my ex classmates that stayed in singapore are cishet and upper middle class and chinese singaporean#that i Am the trans person. that they were able to ignore me for a decade partially because there was no one else#so this is a comic about how there is dignity and grace in staying in the closet sometimes#about how not everyone deserves to see you at your happiest. about how some people can go fuck themselves#you know your truth and THATS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS!!! YEAH!!! i love you
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If you try to do anything to Tubbo it's on sight, he's right about y'all being weird
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this week the doctor and ruby try not to punch a rich bitch for forty five minutes
#doctor who#dw#dr who#15th doctor#fifteenth doctor#ruby sunday#doctor who series 14#dot and bubble#theyāre stronger than me lindy pepper-bean would have have catching these hands#i know my girl ruby wouldāve come in swinging#both of their looks of contempt are so lovely though
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Alastor is a complex character!
Despite being one of the few characters in Hazbin with confirmed identities (his ethnic background and sexual orientation), those identities are in of themselves, complex experiences.
Thereās seemingly nothing about the character that is Black or White.
I think thatās why he is such a compelling character! Also, itās probably one reason why he is such an attractive conduit for folksā creative expression.
His identities are not necessarily why many people may gravitate towards him, but they do offer a chance for people to investigate him and explore a characterāas unique as he isāinto avenues they may not have considered before.
I can commiserate with feeling defensive of a character who shares an identity with youāESPECIALLY an underrepresented one. Discourse is natural and completely fine! (And very educational sometimes in my experience)
But I donāt think itās fruitful to police a fandom in these matters. Some folks come to my inbox (I delete the really rude ones) or comment sections with a very cop-like attitude to a space thatās supposed to be creative and/or fun *airhorn*
Thatās my take as just some guy on the internet š¤š have a good dayyyyy
#NOT TO MENTION HEāS A CANNIBAL DEMON RADIO HOST FROM 1920S NEW ORLEANS#WHAT A GUY!!#I like media analysis and discourse#thatās why I make posts like these lol#and the source material is sooo compelling and offers chances to utilize critical thinking like this#which is just SWELL :)#and itās also very funny and silly and I love that too#thatās why I donāt like the cop attitude some fans have#also I donāt like the police but thatās my own thing hahah#an anon sent me a detailed message that made me wanna make this post#if that anon sees this#I appreciated your message! sincerely and I thought you were quite graceful#for the anons who come into my inbox mean-spirited: catch these hands ļæ½ļæ½
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exactly one person asked and iāve been DYING to make this, so here are all of my favorite long batman fanfics in general and for new readers @twisted-tales-told :)
cards on the table by @wesslan ! 69k, completed. this is one of my all time favorite fanfictions, itās so funny and tim is a mastermind genius and a little liar <3 he basically pretends to be a fortune teller and gives scarily good predictions and advice by stalking the upper class and eventually gets involved with the batfam and has to maintain his lies while dealing with his issues :) 10/10, very found family, good angst, so much lying
Dark Matter by @mysterycyclone , 221k, ongoing. this is a batman fanfic rec, of course my bbg dark matter is going to be here <3 this is a MCUxDCU crossover where after infinity war (spoilers for that if you havenāt seen it!) peter parker gets sent to the DCU dimension with part of the soul stone and basically is haunted by the ghosts of the avengers while trying to survive in gotham and get back to his dimension. this is so well written iāve read it at least three times, itās still ongoing but trust me it is SO GOOD. i canāt properly describe it, but if you like spider-man and you are interested in batman, youāll love.
Red is the Color of Sinners by @bluelotuswrites , series, 120k, ongoing, M. i want you to look me in my eyes when i tell you this is my favorite series on ao3. it is set after under the red hood and daredevil 3 where jason and matt meet in a church after jason loses his ability to speak following the events of UTRH. they keep running into each other both as matt and daredevil and eventually jason begins helping matt out with injuries and tech. itās not finished yet, but there is something so compelling about their dynamic in this series as well as jasonās overall character and how he is portrayed. iām a sucker for mute jason after UTRH and this series does so well giving him a fresh start and a place away from gotham to heal and build relationships. i cannot recommend enough.
buy back the secrets by @vinelark , 71k, ongoing, T. THIS!!! oh my god, so this is a timkon fic where kon still doesnāt know timās civilian identity, but whenever heās in trouble tim calls for superboy which leads to them meeting without kon knowing. shenanigans ensure when kon starts spending more time with tim! itās still ongoing but the author is currently working on the next part and it is so so worth the wait. chapter 4 ends on a cliffhanger though so be warned :))
Sales People Know (listening is the most important part) by Mayhem10, 77k, completed, T. this has the coolest urban magical realism ever. tim basically runs this magic shop that shows up places and people who need something find it in his shop :) itās kinda a slow burn found family fic with magic themes and a smidge of angst!
Retrograde Motion by Lysical, 112k, completed, T. this is best de-aged kid fic ever. jason gets turned into a 7 year old and basically the outlaws, artemis and biz, join forces with the batfam to take care of him. but trust me when i say this is worth your time, it might sound tropey but in the best way possible!! and jasonās relationship with artemis is sooo important to me in this!
Hand in Unloveable Hand (a chokehold) by britishparty, 54k, completed, M. this is one of the best psychological torture/grooming fics iāve ever read. pretty much what if while our taking photos of batman and robin, little tim gets kidnapped and black mask gets his hands on him and decides heās the perfect size for a protege. years of psychological abuse and insane mind games ensue. also tim is a Badassā¢ļø
If He Had Come by bronwe_iris, 45k, completed, T. so iām a little freak and i love the angst of arkham knight jason, but more specifically the aus where bruce saves jason before he becomes the arkham knight! this is an au where bruce finds jason and saves him from the joker after 9 months of torture and brings him home. focuses on his healing mentally and physically and rebuilding his relationship with his family
Banshee in a Well by liverobinreaction (bugbee), 43k, completed, T. veeeery good angst. basically what if tim couldnāt die? 43k of tim drake whump where he just dies a bajillion times and eventually his family notices <3
The Birds: Hatching a Family by Oceanera12, 81k, completed, T. this is like āwhat if the batkids werenāt adopted by bruce, but instead they were all foster siblings who canāt seem to stay out of gotham at night and batman happens to find them and decides obviously he canāt leave these kids to their own business, he has to stick his nose in itā and thereās some angst and heaps of found family
The Hellblazerās Apprentice by @bluelotuswrites, 29k, ongoing, M. what can i say, im a simple woman, i love to see jason with literally any older male mentor :) basically in UTRH what if he took up an apprenticeship under constantine to learn magic to piss off batman! so good, i really love constantine so seeing him and jason interact in a long fic is so good. also ALL BLADES JASON TODD SAVE MEā¦ ALL BLADES JASON TODD-
something in the static by bonerot19, 101k, ongoing series with three main completed works, T. this is a jason centric series where jason still lives in crime alley with his mom and dad and never stole the batmobile tires. it follows his life in crime alley with an addict mom and an abusive dad and one night when his dad is whaling on him nightwing finds him and the bats just canāt seem to leave him alone after that. steph is his neighbor and best friend also and their relationship is so good. this is a āwhat if jason took a different way home to the wayneāsā fic series and i love it so much <3
catch the asteroids that come your way by ThePackWantsTheD, 54k, completed, T. i donāt read a lot of ships in the batman fandom iām sorry, but this kyle/jason one is sooo lovely. basically the two of them growing up together and falling in love and then dealing with the aftermath of A Death in the Family and finding each other again :) really sweet and nice!
hope you find something you like! i realized the majority of these are tim or jason centric, and i love them all dearly, but if anyone has any recs for long fics focusing on any of the other batkids lmk! and any other recs in general, i am a fiend for new fics
#batman fanfiction recommendation#batfam fic rec#batman fic rec#fic: cards on the table#fic: dark matter#fic: red is the color of sinners#fic: buy back the secrets#fic:salespeople know (listening is the most important part)#fic: retrograde motion#fic: hand in unloveable hand (a chokehold)#fic: if he had come#fic: banshee in a well#fic: the hellblazers apprentice#fic: the birds: hatching a family#fic: something in the static#fic: seventeen going under#fic: catch the asteroids that come your way#timkon#jaykyle#timkon fic rec#batman#batfam#jason todd#tim drake#dick grayson#damian wayne#bruce wayne#stephanie brown#duke thomas#cassandra cain
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rebelcaptain + the hunger games au
When Jyn Erso was eight years old, her mother died and her father left to become a gamemaker for the Hunger Games. Adopted by Saw Gerrera, her mother's friend, she became Jyn Gerrera and was forbidden from ever revealing her true identity to anyone. Ten years later, it's Jyn's last reaping. Saw, the forgotten victor of the 32nd Hunger Games, had rejected every reward the Empire offered him, preferring to live as a recluse at the edge of the forest in District 12, as opposed to the luxury in the Victors' Village. It's been decades since anyone in the district even recalled that Saw was once a victor himself, but he had made sure to teach Jyn all he knew of self-defense and combat training. It's the only thing she has of him left since his passing two years ago. Now, Jyn just wants to get through her last reaping and survive. But when she hears the name of the young girl she trades with sometimes, Jyn doesn't hesitate to volunteer in her place. She has nothing to lose, except her life, and every reason to believe that with Saw's training, she has a chance at winning the games. A chance that 12-year-old Kerri Andor wouldn't have. Things get a little more complicated when Kerri's brother is picked as the other tribute. Jyn is good at surviving, but Cassian, with his quiet cunning and surprising talent with a bow and arrow, could be a threat. Not to mention that Jyn knows he's the sole provider for his young sister and aging mother; a family who needs him. Who may die without him. Nobody is waiting for Jyn back home. When their mentor's plan to make them seem like star-crossed lovers triples the attention and sponsors they receive, Jyn is forced to play along with the scheme and pretend she has feelings for Cassian. Worst of all? She's not sure where pretending ends and where genuine feelings begin. The gamemakers say they can both go home if they're the last two tributes standing, but Jyn knows better than to believe the pretty promises of the Empire. Soon, she'll have to make a choice. Will she do anything to survive? Or will she let Cassian Andor go home to his family - even at the cost of her own life?
#rebelcaptain#rogue one#dailyrebelcaptain#therebelcaptainnetwork#swedit#rogueoneedit#tuserjyn#usertina#rebelsmik#tusersimone#*graphics#*rebelcaptain#thg au#i have thoughts#i think jyn and cassian are both more katniss than peeta#although cassian certainly has some peeta traits especially their ability to lie and manipulate#but cassian is far less ~golden boy~ and far more directly lethal than peeta who doesn't kill anyone in the games#i also think the bow and arrow make more sense for him since he's a sniper and jyn is more hand-to-hand combat#and then jyn's the one who volunteers like katniss but cassian's the one with a family relying on him#katniss has the desire to survive for her family and jyn has survival instincts but she has no one to go back for#cassian does#which i think makes for an interesting dilemma for him#because he doesn't think he can stomach killing jyn but if he dies what will happen to kerri?#for that reason i think the trick with the berries may come from him#jyn who has spent the last two years achingly alone feels she has nothing to survive for#she has a fondness for kerri and has grown to care deeply about cassian so ultimately i think she'd want to give the victory to him#cassian is the one who has to be like 'no we do this together or not at all'#but then if we go further into catching fire and mockingjay territory i think ultimately jyn's the spark#although would it still make sense if cassian did the trick with the berries? i don't know#i always pictured jyn as the face of the rebellion and cassian getting hijacked etc etc but im curious what you guys think!!
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continued violence
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Holding hands will make things better, surely
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[[ All Croissant Adventures (chronological, desktop) ]]
[[ All Croissant Adventures (app) ]]
#Croissant's a big hand holder#this part of the game is so HEAVY we're not done with the sad comics yet#I had to save scum this part bc when Shadowheart was being fussy about giving up her life's religion I was like āok fine catch these handsā#bc I was like āit's fine we'll tussle and then I'll get her to come aroundā#forgetting that I'm in a video game and I don't have QUITE that much freedom#and Astarion approved when we started to fight#the little drama queen#bg3#baldur's gate 3#bg3 spoilers#act II spoilers#gauntlet of shar#nightsong#croissant adventures#tav#shadowheart#comics
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"do you think my wings are pretty..?"
he preened his wings..... theres no dirt or dye or anything.... so they're back to their original colour
#gonna go ahead and post this one late#my art#grian#it was originally going to be him trying to bait compliments. yknow? being a little smug but still embarrassed#not sure when in the sketch he ended up laying back#he was originally talking to mumbo#hes fidgeting with his hands#i think it comes across as suggestive but hes just looking for attention hahah#hes an angel not a bird but.... he still wants people to find his wings pretty#i think scar would catch on and go along with him like oh ! why yes of course ! they're always so pretty <3#im rly tired if the wings are drawn ugly im sry i tried dont embarrass me pls
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Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen in the promo for 6x09
#chenfordedit#therookieedit#chenford#the rookie#tim bradford x lucy chen#lucy chen#tim bradford#mine#6x09#wishful thinking is hoping a higher quality promo would come out after the episode instead of this lower one#SHE CATCHES THE ELEVATOR JUMPS ONSAID ELEVATOR AND PROCEEDS TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BUTTON JUST SO SHE CAN CHECK IN ON HIM#a broken up elevator hug#i love how he's just standing there with his hands in his pockets looking like an anxious snacc and she just goes and does all of that#girl a hug won't solve anything#but i won't complain#also here she goes again trying to fix somebody else's problem instead of her own
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old school pheej moments (taken from pj's old yearly photobook videos)
#kickthepj#pj liguori#amazingphil#phil lester#dan and phil#(if anyone is bothered that im tagging this as dnp come catch these hands)
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Honeymoon pt.3 - Kozama'uka
"It's just as you said, my love, the sights Kozama'uka are marvel to behold. Such vibrant wetlands... I can understand now how you were reminded of that of Lakeland. Let's settle here for lunch. I would love to hear this tale of Alexander that Y'shtola mentioned earlier in Earthenshire."
#ffxiv#ffxiv gpose#g'raha tia#y'shtola rhul#wolgraha#wolshtola#y'shtola x wol#g'raha/wol#Arsay Nun#WOL posting#miqo'te#graharshtola#dawntrail#Arsay sailed them down the river on a smaller catamaran herself JUST so she could show them the really pretty view she saw in the dungeon#and then they walked through to earthenshire and flew back down to the lower levels#theres a little spot in the wetlands and lake where the grass is all pink and its that spot in particular that made arsay think of lakeland#so she wanted to show the upper side first to graha#she had told him about it before obviously since she was calling him and shtola every day during the first section of the msq#I kinda wanted to do some more onthe bottom level but i don't want these to be like more than a few pictures each for my own sanity#so i settled on something silly: arsay catching a fish from the river with her bare hands#i picture that hanuhanu was have trouble fishing something up so Arsay was like Oh I can help#>proceeds to jump into the river and comes backa few minutes later with a big fish in her hands
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dnd valentine's sketch for dal who plays lafavel, the party paladin with a crush on my warlock, dandelion
#dungeons and dragons#dnd art#dnd character#dnd oc#dnd#ravelers#dandelion treehollow#lafavel adalhard#lafavel is dallie's character#the lil paladin with a crush on the warlock#also has a savior complex and is determined to Save dande#this isn't a canon interaction but i was trying to draw valentines doodles#lafavel way too repressed and traumatized to be so bold as to checks notes hold his hand#very sorry lafavel that you are crushing on this absolute disaster man#ah a crush with seven layers of trauma underneath it#the crush started on Dande's disguise Robin which uhhh..... comes with complications...... oopsie#also lowkey believe the crush got started due to robin accidentally catching lafavel up in a Charm spell#which was the first time Lafavel saw Robin in a new kinder light LOL OOPS UH
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Something I Can Turn To
And now for something different again! I took the AU in 'Domestic AU' and I ran with it! So this is your classic sort of everyone's alive alternate universe, set some nebulous time in the current-ish era, wherein Charles and Edwin attended school together and both survived (slash saved each other from) their canon deaths. It's just a sweet and slightly sad little thing that doesn't go into a huge amount of detail, but I got very attached to it so who knows, maybe in future I'll expand on the backstory! Warnings for references to their pasts and the bullying, child abuse etc. that went on there, as well as to injuries, scars and trauma that resulted from it. But we're not getting into super nitty-gritty detail and hopefully the overall vibe is one of love and safety! Still, tread carefully if those topics are at all triggering for you š 2.3k, T-rated, also available on Ao3. Thanks again, @painlandweek!
"Charles!" Edwin called ā bravely poking his face out from the warm duvet to be heard. "The advertisements are over!"
"Coming, coming!"
Charles scurried into the room moments later, two cups of tea in his hands. He huffed and puffed as he padded along the floorboards in hole-riddled socks. "Cold, cold, cold," he muttered, thrusting the cups towards Edwin in a sloshy, mildly dangerous manner. "Grab these a sec!"
Edwin did so, wincing as his arms breached the bounds of the duvet nest to the frigid air beyond. Once Charles had his hands free he wasted no time diving into bed, burrowing into the pocket of warmth.
"Mate, it's fucking cold," he said, reclaiming his mug. "Freezing my bollocks off out there."
"Perhaps we should have prioritised buying that space heater, after all," Edwin mused.
"Oi. 'Nuff of that. That kettle's a bloody essential bit of kit."
Edwin sipped his tea. Scalding hot, just as he liked it. "Hmm. Agreed."
Charles squirmed around getting comfortable, taking care not to spill his tea. He almost succeeded. "Ow. So! What'd I miss?"
"Nothing whatsoever ā you made it back just in time." Edwin settled in as well, against the headboard ā though by headboard, he of course meant the bare magnolia wall. "I must say, I'm intrigued by this one. I wonder how Detective Columbo's going to get this villain dead to rights."
"Always fakes you out, don't he?" Charles grinned, finally finding his space ā pressed up against Edwin, hip to shoulder. "Mm ā pass us the biccies."
Edwin handed him the somewhat depleted packet of ginger snaps. "Do be careful of the crumbs ā we've only one fitted sheet to our name."
One sheet, one duvet. Two pillows. No bed frame. It was a modest sleeping arrangement. Particularly for two grown men, squeezed onto a mattress that was only a double by the barest technicality. But on these cold winter nights, that closeness had its benefits. Several benefits, in fact.
As though reading his mind, Charles grinned. "What?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Never messed about on a bed of biscuit crumbs?"
Edwin groaned and, lightly, pressed his palm to Charles' face and pushed it away. "You're revolting," he said.
Charles just laughed. "What? It's just like sex on the beach, really." He bit down on a biscuit. Loudly. "Bit crunchier."
"You will never persuade me that sex on a beach is a good idea," said Edwin, with a shudder. "The sand..."
"Sex in the sea, then?"
"Best of luck with your urinary tract infection."
Charlesā laughter rolled pleasantly in Edwin's ears as he nestled in properly, head on Edwin's shoulder.
Edwin chuckled in turn, draping his arm around Charles, fingers sinking into his hair. He played absently with Charles' unruly curls, as Columbo talked circles around his latest hapless ne're-do-well.
It was a strange little life they'd carved out for themselves, here in this sparsely-furnished nest. They had Edwin's scholarship to thank, and the student housing fund he'd received alongside. Though Charles helped as best he could with his meagre earnings from his part-time job at the local gym, they barely scraped by. Charles might've also been able to apply for student loans, once upon a time. But he'd never managed to bounce back after the sharp decline of his grades in year eleven. And what else could anyone have expected? It had taken all of his considerable strength to get back on his feet after what happened to him. Every ounce of his tenacity to return to his life after the incident that had almost ended it.
Edwin would not soon forget those hideous, harrowing weeks. Counting days of silence, of filling the Rowland family's voicemail to no acknowledgement. Of pitying expressions from hospital staff as they turned him away, time after time. Stewing and seething in the fear and the worry. In the rage of being told that he had less of a right to visit his best friend than the man who'd covered his back in belt scars did. Edwin didn't sleep, he didn't eat, he worried himself away night by night, and the boys who did the damage? Oh, they were suspended. For less time than it took for Charles to return to form. Back to school with a slap on the wrist. Any notions Edwin might've still held about there being justice in the world had been quite thoroughly quashed by that ruling.
It was a miracle Charles even found the strength to attend school for his last two years ā let alone the same school. The one where he had, to reiterate, nearly lost his life to hypothermia and internal injuries at the hands of his hooligan 'friends'. Edwin had scarcely believed his eyes when he'd spied Charles across assembly that Tuesday morning. A month with no word and suddenly there he was, beaten and battered and more beautiful than Edwin's heart could take.
His parents ā or at least his mother ā had wished to transfer him, of course. But Charles, in true Charles fashion, dug in his heels and refused to be moved. Edwin had cornered him that very morning, on the stairs after assembly. He must have been angry ā because he shouted at Charles when all he truly wanted to do was collapse into his arms.
"I cannot believe you would stay here in this barbaric horror show after what those boys did to you," Edwin had snapped, eyes stinging with the threat of tears to fall. "That is so fucking stupid it's unbelievable!"
"Sorry," Charles had replied ā not sounding sorry in the slightest. His stitched-up split lip curled with his weary smile. "No version of this where I don't stick this out with you, is there?"
And that, as far as Charles had been concerned, was the matter closed.
The simple fact was that Edwin had never had a choice in which school he would attend. St. Hilarion's was in the family tradition; his father, grandfather, great grandfather, all honoured alumni. And if Edwin's own incident a year earlier hadn't been enough to convince his father otherwise, then nothing else would. The only way Edwin was leaving that school before graduation was in a body bag. And Charles, the stubborn fool, could only be convinced to leave Edwin in the same manner.
And so for the last two years of hell they had tried, in their own ways, to keep their heads down. 'Tried' being the operative word. Charles could never leave well enough alone, and fights were amassed. But every time he showed up to their hideout in the attic with a black eye or bloody knuckles, it was always the same story. One where he saw someone else being bullied, and threw himself at the situation as a substitute punching bag. Sometimes, the person he was protecting was Edwin. More often than not, it was some boy he'd never exchanged two words with. Made no odds to him.
And no matter how it terrified Edwin, or how he admonished Charles, he could never truly take issue. To resent Charles for being protective would be to resent him for being tragically, quintessentially Charles. In the end there was nothing he could do but patch Charles together with his pilfered first aid kit, and plead with him to be more careful. Maybe, just maybe, it would sink into his thick skull one day.
While Charles spiralled, Edwin studied. And studied, and studied, and studied. During slow lessons, after hours in the library, in the dead of night under the covers ā he preferred to catch his sleep in daytime naps, anyway. For obvious reasons, sleeping in the dorm around the other boys had lost its appeal. There were days where he was so exhausted he could do nothing in his lunchtime trysts with Charles but sleep. At times it seemed there was no safe place in the world besides that dusty attic, with Charles' thigh as his pillow.
It was worth it, the sleepless nights, the borderline mania of his studies. With his stellar grades at sixth form, Edwin secured a scholarship on the other side of the country ā fully paid. Meaning freedom, at last, from the golden shackles of his father's money. He'd packed everything he could carry into a backpack and his grandfather's old leather travel case. And with the first money he'd ever had to his name and no one else's, he made his first purchase: two train tickets. One way.
It wasn't an entirely seamless escape, of course. When he'd walked to the Rowland house to collect Charles, he'd found him scrambling through the narrow window of his basement bedroom. Nothing on him but the clothes on his back, and a fresh bruise across his jaw. But escape they had ā and Charles had slept the entire way to Edinburgh, head on Edwin's shoulder. Safe and sound, at last.
It had felt good to be able to rescue Charles, for a change. He'd been playing the hero for others long enough.
Edwin scratched lightly at Charles' scalp as the Columbo credits rolled. He smiled when Charles snuffled and nuzzled into the sensation in the manner of a contented old dog.
"What's on next?" asked Charles, drowsy.
"I believe there's an episode of QI on the next channel." Edwin enjoyed that programme ā some of the humour was a bit crass for his tastes, but he almost always learned something interesting.
"Tenner says Alan comes last place."
Edwin rolled his eyes. "Easy money. And I haven't got a tenner."
"Fiver?"
"No."
"One-er?"
Edwin laughed. "I shall wager you... a kiss."
Charles perked up. "I'll take that action!"
"I hope you never take up a gambling habit, Charles," said Edwin, fondly. "Why on Earth would you place bets for something you can have at any time, in abundance?"
"Yeah, but it's not just a kiss, is it? It's a victory kiss. I get to be all smug and that."
"Charming."
"Oh, I'm a charmer." Charles smiled up at him crookedly, eyes hooded. "All the fit lads love me."
Affection bubbled in Edwin's chest as he looked down upon him. It was a flagrant hollow boast ā Edwin knew better than anyone how dire Charles' opinion of himself could be. A situation that had only worsened in recent years, as the beatings from home and school grew more frequent and harder to hide under shirts. The scar on his lip had never fully healed. Nor had the proud sweep of his nose recovered from the time it was broken and poorly reset. He was a war-torn thing, and a bit of a hodgepodge. Elegant frame under rugged wounds, topped off with subtly effete highlights of gold earring and smudged eyeliner. Eyes older than his years, and a newly gap-toothed grin that could still light up the room. He was a strange young man, a walking contradiction; and Edwin loved him dearly, fiercely, and oh-so-terribly.
Edwin leaned down, dropping a sweet kiss between Charles' eyes ā just above his broken nose. "I should think so. You're very easy to love."
Charles blinked up at him, a flash of vulnerability in his dark eyes. Edwin gathered him close under his arm before he could do something silly like second guess his affection, or shy away.
"Now shush," said Edwin primly, cupping his warm tea to his chest. It was an awful mug, scrounged from a charity shop with a chip in the rim. It declared the holder a certified 'Tired Old Queen', and it was always Edwin's mug without question. "Mister Fry is about to tell us the theme of the week."
And for a little while, that was that. Edwin followed the programme, rapt, humming in interest at new information ā and rolling his eyes at the obvious blunders of the panel. Charles did not speak for some time, still warm against Edwin's side. Sometimes, upon being paid a compliment, he needed to sit a while and let it absorb.
It was the ad break, and Edwin was considering braving the arctic chill of the unheated flat for another tea, when Charles spoke again.
"Edwin?"
"Hm?"
Charles wrapped the arm clutching his ā now empty ā chequered mug around Edwin's waist. "When the Beeb come and drag me away for not paying the telly licence, will you visit me in prison?"
It was so out-of-pocket that Edwin couldn't help but laugh. "Well. Technically, I will be the one going to prison," he said. "It is my name on the apartment lease."
"Would you want me to visit you in prison, then?"
Edwin flicked Charles' earring, playful. "Obviously, Charles."
He could feel Charles' grin against his shoulder. "Brills. You tell me the layout, and I'll bust you out."
"That is not what I agreed to."
"I'll chat to that new girl at the gym, Crystal? Bet she'd help with a prison break. Reckon she's got a wild side."
"Charles," he said, flatly. "I'll not have you imprisoned with me when your madcap scheme goes awry."
"Why not?" said Charles, giving Edwin a warm squeeze. "That's the whole point of doing it."
Edwin scoffed ā but his heart was beating ten to the dozen. "Charles ā"
"Nope. Sorry." Charles took Edwin's empty mug from his hand ā and leaned up to plant a loud, obnoxious kiss on his cheek. "Looks like you're stuck with me. Prison's not getting you out of this relationship, mate."
He made as if to leave the duvet igloo ā and immediately hissed at the cold. "Although this bloody apartment might ā fucking hell. Going outside; I may be some time."
Edwin rolled his eyes. "Oh, for goodness' sake." He inched over to the edge of the bed and gathered the duvet about both their shoulders like a cape, tucking his arm neatly around Charles' waist. "There. If we make haste, we can be back before the general ignorance round." He met Charlesā eyes, stoic. āNo man left behind.ā
Charlesā smile was a soft and doting thing; somehow it warmed Edwin deeper than any space heater ever could. He wrapped his arm around Edwin's shoulder. Their feet dangled side by side, toes flexed to avoid premature contact with the chilly floor. "Together on three, then?ā
Edwin smiled back, and nodded. "One."
Charles bumped their heels together in companionship. "Two..."
Edwin returned the gesture, in commiseration for the unpleasantness to come. A cold and bitter expedition to the kettle lay ahead; but as in all things, theyād tough it out together.
"Three!"
~~
Thanks for reading, this one's very dear to my heart - would love to know what you think š Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the lovely comments you guys have been leaving on my fics - I have SO many to catch up on but I promise I'm gonna reply to them! I love talking to you and really appreciate you talking to me ššš Not sure right now whether there'll be a fic for tomorrow (canon divergence/case fic) or the day after (free day). I have nothing written, none of my ideas are really sticking, and I'm still feeling kind of ill. I might end up just posting some ink sketches instead! But whether there's fics tomorrow/Saturday or not, there will defo be a fic Sunday š Thanks so much, my lovelies - I'll be seeing you soon ššš
#painlandweek#painland week#payneland#dead boy detectives#dbda#my fanfic#might be posting this one like an hour before it's technically day 4 timezone wise#but my hands are hurting and i have people coming over soon so i kind just need to put the laptop away for a bit!#thank you for all the love this week guys seriously š#maybe if i end up not writing tomorrow/sat i'll actually have some time to catch up on the stuff you guys have been writing!#need to start giving some of the love back!
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